The Bitter Truth: Who’s sneaking into Arakan, Rakhine or Rohingya? Part (1)

M.S. Anwar
RB Article
September 29, 2012

They have said much and lied a lot about Rohingyas of Arakan to portray them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Many stories have been created on Rakhines to depict them as natives. Recently, an ethnic cleansing against Rohingyas was triggered and is still going on. How and why has all that been systematically done? Who have been behind this? To what extent are they true? Let some bitter truths be exposed. 

Brief History of Rohingyas and Rakhines 

According to the available historical records and many historians, the earliest inhabitants of Arakan were a pro-Australoid people called Negritos from the Neolithic period. They were known as Rakkhasha (cannibals). They were dark-skinned people much like Africans and many Rohingyas of today. They did not look like Mongoloid Rakhines or Maghs of today who falsely claim to be of their descendants. The second earliest people of Arakan were Indo-Aryans (i.e. Indians) followed by Mro and Chakmas. Their settlements dated back to B.C. 3323. Most of the earliest Kingdoms in Arakan history were Indian Kingdoms namely Dhannyavadi Kingdoms and Vaishali (Vesali) Kingdom. These earliest Indians, that is to say the forefathers of Rohingyas, were the followers of Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism. With the advent of some Arabs as traders and Islamic propagators to Arakan in 788 AD, most of local Indians converted into Islam. It is very important to note that it was Islam that came to Arakan in 788 AD, not Muslims. Yet, the indigenous Indians who had converted into Islam known as Rohingyas today later came to mix with foreigners as their settlements continued throughout its historical periods. Usage of the term “Rohingya” in form of “Rooinga” can be found as early as 17th century. 

Another Arakanese community known as Rakhines today was the last significant people of single Mongoloid stock to arrive in Arakan with the Mongolian invasion in 957 AD. Later, a new civilization took place as they came to mix local Indians and formed into Indo-Mongoloid people, while many remained purely of Mongoloid origin. And they re-established Buddhism in Arakan but in the form of Theraveda this time. With the continual invasions by the kings of Tibeto-Burman people of Mongoloid stock from Upper and Lower Burma, the people of Arakan were gradually formed to be of more Mongoloid origin and Indian-Originated people consequently decreased or were outnumbered. Therefore, the later Kingdoms of Arakan such as in Lemro and Mrauk-U Periods were rather Indo-Mongoloid or Mongoloid Kingdoms than Indian Kingdoms. However, Muslims (of both Indigenous Indian Origins and foreigners settled in Arakan) played many at times as phenomenon Kingmakers and other very important roles during Mongoloid Arakanese Kingdoms. 

Migration is a Human Nature 

Despite being the sons of Indigenous Negritos and Indo-Aryans, today Rohingyas are being labeled as Bengalis and recent illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. It is perhaps because they look similar to Bengalis in appearance. In fact, Rohingyas, Bengalis, Indians of today’s India and Pakistanis etc are generally referred as South-Asians or Indians. They are of single roots. Yet, Rohingyas are linguistically and culturally different from Bengalis. 

Though the migration of the people, during British colonial period and at the earlier periods, from the then India to Arakan and vice versa can’t be denied, it stopped after Burma gained Independence from British. Yet, a certain self-proclaimed Rakhine historian, Dr. Aye Chan who has screwed Arakan history up and turned it into myths, has been making too much noise on Cross Border Migration from 1824 to the time of Burma independence. He always only points out to the fact that there were some seasonal Bengali farmers and workers who used to come to and stay in Arakan for temporary basis. To him, Rakhines in both sides of the countries were too lazy to move out of their houses and to migrate to some places of better income. (It will really be dismal and illogical to allege that only Bengalis emigrated into Arakan, not Rakhines living in Bangladesh side for centuries. It is to everyone’s knowledge that there are more than one million Rakhines living in Bangladesh). And Migration is a nature of human beings! 

Ascendance of Gen. Ne Win to the Power and New Rakhine Settlements 

To Rohingyas’ misfortune, their most tragic history began with the ascendance of an evil dictator, Gen. Ne Win, to the power in 1962. He started systematic persecutions against Rohingyas both physically and mentally. In collaboration with Rakhine extremists of the time such as U Kyaw Aye, the chairman of MaSaLa (Burmese Way of Socialist) Party, Rakhine state, he began to wipe out Rohingyas’ (collective) historical monuments such as ancient Mosques, tombs, graves etc. He banned any Rohingyas’ traditional festivals, shows and any other celebration. As a result, many Rohingyas started to leave Arakan. And he brought in thousands of Bangladeshi Rakhines to replace those leaving Rohingyas. He confiscated Rohingyas’ lands and properties and gave away to the newly brought Rakhines. The following are the few examples of Bangladeshi Rakhines brought in by Ne Win, holding authoritarian power and higher occupations in the current Burmese Pseudo Civilian Government. 

1. Tuan Hla Sein S/o Than Phru, Secretary of the Ruling Party [Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP)] Maung Daw, originally from Zaadir Faar, Nilah, Bangladesh, settled in Arakan in 1975. 

2. Sara U Tha Khin, a former High School of Maung Daw and the current Southern Maung Daw Representative to the Parliament, originally from Zaadir Faar, Nilah, Bangladesh, settled in Arakan in 1950. 

3. Mra Aung, the current Representative to the State Parliament and Economic Minister of Rakhine State, originally from Rangamati, Bangladesh, settled in Arakan in 1955. 

4. U Tuan, the current chairman of the village Bagonna, sothern Maung Daw, originally from Barisal, Bangladesh, settled in Arakan in 1982. 

5. Allu Maung S/o Wan Maung, the former chairman of the village Bagonna, sothern Maung Daw, originally from Bangladesh, settled in Arakan in 1982. 

Besides, many Rakhine villages in southern Maung Daw such as Kanthaya, Baudi Gung etc were established in 1982 with Bangladeshi Rakhine settlers. Rohingyas’ lands were confiscated during the period and given away to these new settlers. All the Rakhine dwellers in these villages are solely Bangladeshi Rakhines. And Dr. Aye Maung, the chairman of Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) and one of the main culprits behind ongoing Rohingya genocides, was born in Bangladesh from Bangladeshi Rakhine parents who settled in Arakan in late 1950s. On top of that, Dr. Aye Chan was a son of Bangladeshi Barua called Kala Sand. These are the few examples some well-known recent Rakhine settlers in Arakan. There are thousands of Rakhines who settled in Arakan during British colony and afterwards, who multiplied into millions today. 

Mohammed Sheikh Anwar is an activist studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College, Malaysia.